Most digital cameras today are similar in size to and behave like conventional point-and-shoot cameras. Unlike conventional cameras, however, most digital cameras store digital images in an internal flash memory or on external memory cards, and some are equipped with a liquid-crystal display (LCD) screen on the back of the camera. Through the use of the LCD, most digital cameras operate in two modes, record and play, although some only have a record mode. In record mode, the LCD is used as a viewfinder in which the user may view an object or scene before taking a picture. In play mode, the LCD is used as a playback screen for allowing the user to review previously captured images either individually or in arrays of four, nine, or sixteen images.
One option for which a digital camera can be used is for capturing timelapse images. Timelapse images typically capture a series of images over a period of time. For example, a digital camera can capture various stages of a rose as it blooms. The user can estimate how long it might take the rose to bloom, and capture the image of the rose at periodic intervals during that time. Another example of timelapse image capture is timelapse captures of the growth of a stalk of corn. In this instance, the user may choose to capture one or two images per day over several days.
Conventional digital cameras typically have no automatic features for timelapse due to the short life of the battery which is commonly used in the digital cameras. In live view mode, battery life typically only lasts 15 to 20 minutes. Thus, the short battery life limits a timelapse series of image captures to only 15 to 20 minutes, a time which is far too short for most timelapse captures.
What is needed is an automatic timelapse capture in an image capture unit, such as a digital camera. The present invention addresses such a need.